It has long been required in missile and space applications to remotely separate one part of a casing or structure from another. Such separations are usually accomplished by explosives which cut the structure. Missile casing separation commonly employs explosive bolts or shaped-charges, which may be assisted by mechanical devices for spatially separating the cut parts. An arrangement for cutting a casing by use of a linear shaped-charge is disclosed in U.S Pat. No. 3,185,090. An improved arrangement is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,104 where an annular explosive charge is mounted within a missile body and separated therefrom to provide an air space to thermally insulate the explosive from the housing. Many arrangements are employed for severing the casing of a missile, or for severing or deforming pipes such as used in oil wells. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,797,892; 3,053,182; and 4,354,433.
The prior art fails, however, to teach the use of a combination explosive and propellant for sequentially cutting a structure and spatially separating the cut parts.